Next Year, I Swear
by moviegeek03
Summary: When Enjolras's end of the year rally lands him in the hospital on New Year's Eve, Grantaire decides to surprise him with their own holiday celebration to cheer him up. (Modern AU)


This is my first attempted at ExR and is based off this prompt that I saw floating around tumblr before Christmas: "You're in the hospital for the holidays so I came in while you were sleeping to decorate your room...I love you...Merry Christmas!" I didn't get this written in time for Christmas, so I thought I'd change it to New Year's Eve.

* * *

"Stupid rallies," Grantaire grumbled, pulling items out from the closet and digging through boxes. "Stupid cops." He stood so that he could reach the top shelf when the bottom of the closet did not hold what he needed. "Stupid—" He jumped up so that he could pull the bins down, only for them to fall with a loud clatter onto him. "Shit! Damn it!" He tried to catch them, but he succeeded in nearly knocking himself out as he fell to the floor with the bins and contents spilling out all over him.

He sat there cursing and stewing as he moved the items off of himself and pushed them towards the back of the closet. He could hear footsteps coming down the hall, but he didn't bother looking up for who it was. Courfeyrac was the only other person in the apartment anyway.

"What the hell?"

Grantaire groaned when his roommate reached the closet. "The boxes fell."

"I can see that," Courfeyrac laughed. "What the hell are you doing looking through them anyway?" Courfeyrac knocked a few of the objects away with his feet and helped Grantaire stand.

"Looking for something," Grantaire replied, sorting back through the items and trying to find more on the top shelf.

Courfeyrac pulled him away from the closet, ignoring his grumbling and cursing once more. "What are you looking for? You're going to land yourself in the hospital with the way you are going. We already have one in there. Don't need to add another."

Grantaire's shoulders slumped at that. "I am trying to find the leftover New Year's decorations from our party last year, Courf. That's all."

Courf's face scrunched in confusion. "But we aren't doing a party this year. Not with E—"

"I know we aren't," he snapped back, knocking another bin onto the floor. "I know you guys are going down to the pub and celebrating there."

"Oh." Courfeyrac rubbed the back of his neck and leaned against the closet door. And you aren't? You don't normally pass up a night of drinking."

Grantaire sighed, giving up on the bins and junk of boxes in front of him. "I'm not." He dug his coat out from the mess. He sidestepped Courf and grabbed his wallet from the nightstand.

"R? Where are you going? Hey!" Grantaire ignored him, walking out of the bedroom instead. "R! Stop!" He grabbed his roommate's arm just as he was about to leave the apartment. "I didn't mean anything by that!"

R sighed. "I'm sorry." He ran a hand through his hair, sending the curls flying in more directions. "I'm going to go out for decorations. I just, I have something I want to do. Go on to the pub without me. It's fine. I'm going to be somewhere else tonight."

Courf just nodded, obviously still confused by his friend's behavior. He let him go nonetheless. R smiled at him and left the apartment without another word. He made the walk to the nearby store alone and in silence, ignoring the others already out on the streets preparing for their own New Year's Eve celebrations. He had more important matters to attend to.

Once inside the store, he walked past the marked down Christmas aisle and found the bins of New Year's décor instead. He loaded up on silver streamers, black and gold balloons, a long banner, and a few novelty pieces that amused him. His arms overflowed with the items. He regretted not pausing for a basket earlier. He especially regretted it once a few knick knacks fell out of his arms and he ended up kicking them up to the register as he walked.

He threw the majority onto the conveyor and picked up the ones he had dropped. He noticed a few more things around the registers and added them, bumping into other costumers and apologizing as he went. At the last minute, he added a bottle of sparkling cider to the mix.

"That all?" the cashier asked, sighing and rolling her eyes at the amount of items.

R just nodded and fished out his wallet, paying her for everything before taking the bags. He left and decided that he needed a few more things from other shops in the area. He ducked into the nearby bakery for some treats. He could barely hold all the bags and boxes, and paying the cashier was becoming more difficulty with each stop. Yet he couldn't help but run into the stationary shop when an item caught his eye from the window. He nearly knocked over a few displays in his haste, but he managed to not break anything.

He made his way to the bus stop just as the driver was about to pull away. R took up two seats with all his bags and things, earning a few glares from nearby passengers. But he didn't care. He was rather pleased with all of the purchases. He quickly checked his watch. He hoped he could time this all right.

The bus pulled in front of the hospital and R wrangled his things off. He took the steps two at a time, somehow keeping it all in his arms. He struggled a little getting into the elevator, not wanting to hit an elderly patient who was sharing the ride up with him. The woman eyed him cautiously for a moment, until she got a glimpse of the decorations protruding from the brown bag. She laughed a little and sent him a small smile.

R got off on the 3rd floor and made his way to the nursing station. He moved the bags just enough so that the nurses could see who he was.

"Well, look at you!"

"Hey Chetta," R replied to his friend. "I'm glad you're on shift!"

"Oh no," she laughed. "Are you going to get me into trouble?"

"Me? Never!"

"R," she warned with a bit more bite to her tone.

"No," he said more seriously. "I'm not doing anything wrong, as far as I know. I just need some help. Can you tell me if our boy is out for his tests or—"

"They came early and already did them. He's back in his room now."

"Damn it!" R dropped a bag as he cursed.

Chetta walked around the desk and helped him, peeking inside at the contents. "R…"

"I wanted to be able to surprise him with it all. That's why I needed him out of the room."

"Well, then you are in luck still." Chetta handed the bag back to him.

"How?" R took the bag back from the girl. "You just said he was back in his room?"

"He is. But you didn't let me finish." She put her hands on her hips. "Your boy is apparently afraid of small spaces. Did you know that?" R shook his head, not following where she was going with this. "They had to sedate him for the scans. He started to panic and that aggravated his ribs and so…"

"He's sleeping?" R finally guessed.

"Ding ding ding!"

R rolled his eyes at her. "How was I supposed to know that?"

"Well, if you'd let a girl talk instead of cussing her."

R blushed and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you. So he'll be out for a bit?"

"Should be. I'd guess another hour or so before he wakes up. Will that give you enough time?"

"It should. It'll have to."

Chetta picked up a streamer from the bag and inspected it with a smile. "Good. Just don't block any of the equipment around his bed. The rest of the room should be fine."

"Will do." He hefted the bags up in his arms to keep them secure. "And it's okay for me to be here after visiting hours?"

"Yeah, I got it cleared for you. Now go! Before he wakes up and your surprise is ruined!"

"Thank you again."

She gave him a nod and pushed him down the hall. R headed towards the room he'd spend the last few days holed up in. He glanced at the bed, just to make sure Chetta wasn't wrong. His boy, as she had called him, looked peaceful, and sound asleep.

R got to work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He woke to lights. He could see the flickering of them before he even opened his eyes. He half expected to wake to another doctor shining yet another light in his eyes, but it wasn't. There was nobody at his bed. He glanced towards the window; the blinds were closed so it could not be the sun. The overhead lights were dimmed as well.

His eyes finally settled on the source. Across the room, a set of twinkling lights flashed along the previously empty wall. Streamers hung around it and a banner proclaiming "Happy New Year" went from one end of the ceiling to the next. Black and gold balloon danced around the floor underneath.

The door opened and he looked up to see a figure slide into the room. The figure didn't notice he was awake at first. He blinked and finally was able to focus beyond the mess of black curls.

"Grantaire?"

"Enjolras!" he gasped. He'd been startled, and whatever he had glasped in his hands sloshed out of the cups a little. "I didn't realize you were awake."

Enjolras carefully pushed himself up in the bed, favoring his right side. Once sitting, he was able to take the room in completely. The entire room was decked out for New Year's Eve with the streamers, banners, lights and other little knick knacks covering the walls, tables and chairs in his single room. The tray beside his bed even had cakes laid out instead of the standard hospital food.

"R, did you do all this?"

Grantaire blushed as he walked over to the bed. "It isn't much." He sat on the edge of the bed, careful to avoid Enjolras's bruised ribs.

"Why? I—"

"It's not fair that you're stuck in the hospital with busted ribs and a concussion and who knows what else after the rally. Let alone stuck here over New Year's."

"R—"

"I wanted to bring the holiday to you. I know it's your favorite."

"How'd you know that?"

R laughed. "Of course you don't remember. First time I saw you that drunk."

"Huh?"

R continued to smile. "Last year, when Courf threw that huge party and actually convinced you to join us in having a few drinks. You told me that New Year's Eve was your favorite holiday, despite, and I quote, 'commercialism,' because at the heart of it is about change and new beginnings. Both of wish you hope for every year."

Enjolras looked away for a moment. "I barely remember that."

"Well I did. And I couldn't stand the thought of you in here, on your favorite holiday, because a few police officers didn't react well to your end of the year rally."

"I…Figured you'd have been out with Courf. Thought you all planned to meet up at the pub?"

"The others are. I told Courf to go on without me. I can pass up a night of drinking every now and then." He drew the glass he had brought in with him earlier to his lips. "I'm fine with this. You will be too." He took a sip of his and then handed one to Enjolras.

He took it with a small laugh. "Don't think I'm allowed to drink with a concussion."

"Good thing it's only sparkling cider, no alcohol. So, cheers." Grantaire clinked his plastic cup to Enjolras's.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Enjolras just taking it all in around him. "I don't know what to say," he finally admitted. "This is—just—thank you, R."

Grantaire blushed again and simply nodded. "Want a piece of cake?"

Enjolras bit his lip, not commenting on the change of subject. "Has to be better than the hospital food I've ate for the last 24 hours."

With that, the two settled in for the night. They ate the cake, more than Enjolras expected his doctor to approve of mind you. They talked, Grantaire catching him up on the rest of the groups' plans for the night as well as the reports about the rally that Enjolras had missed out on.

"Can't believe the police broke it up like that," he stated. "We weren't getting violent. That's never happened before."

"Who knows," R sighed. "Regardless, they shouldn't have pulled you off the stage like that. They managed to do a lot of damage."

Enjolras ran his hand (the one free of bandages) through his hair. "Well they managed that by getting a few hits in once I was on the ground. The officer didn't like what I had to say."

"Jesus," Grantaire stuttered.

"Thankfully his partner had some senses and managed to grab him before he did more harm. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't."

"Glad we don't have to find out." R downed the rest of his cider and stood. For a moment, Enjolras thought he might start pacing the room. Instead, he walked towards the seemingly empty bags in the corner and pulled out a small package. "Almost forgot." He returned to the bed and sat down on the edge. "This is for you."

"R, I think you've done enough without—"

"Just take it. It's not much."

"You said that about the room too."

"Please." Grantaire pushed the small package towards him once more.

"Alright." Enjolras pulled the bow off the box and slowly unwrapped the present. After tugging the tissue paper away from the contents, he revealed a small leather planner. On the outside the words 'Get Shit Done' were embedded in red print, causing him to smile at R's choice of gift.

"It seemed appropriate," Grantaire added sheepishly. "Because you will. Get shit done I mean. You'll get something done this year. I'm sure of it."

Enjolras set the book on his table tray and turned his attention to Grantaire once more. "Strong words for someone who doesn't believe in the cause."

"Well, maybe I just believe in you enough to realize it's true."

"R, why did you really do all this?"

"I told you already."

"You told me a reason, but I don't think that it's the real one."

Grantaire tried to stand from the bed, but Enjolras's hand stopped him from going too far. Enjolras tugged him closer. Once he was sure Grantaire wouldn't try to move again, he moved his hand to the back of the man's neck. He toyed with the curls for a moment and then pulled the man closer for a kiss.

"Are you sure you don't have a worse head injury?" R sputtered once they parted.

Enjolras huffed. "Nope. Why? Did I read all of this wrong?"

"No," Grantaire admitted with another blush.

"Good." Enjolras tugged Grantaire to lie down on the be with him.

"Your ribs. I—"

"Will be fine. They are worse on the other side. Just, don't argue for once would you?"

Grantaire laid down willingly this time, albeit carefully. Enjolras turned on the TV so that they could watch the countdown like always. They laid there for awhile, resting against one another as the broadcasters went on about the design of the ball for this year.

After a few minutes, Grantaire broke the silence. "So, do you think I could have another one of those at midnight? For good luck?"

Enjolras turned to him and smiled a little. "I think your next year may just be filled with them. If you would like at least?"

Grantaire initially responded with another kiss, this time more sure and less anxious.

"I think I'm going to like 2016 a lot then."

* * *

Thank you for reading and Happy New Year to you!


End file.
